Metallic stringed musical instruments



Dec. 25, 1962 s, LQVER E 3,069,954

METALLIC STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 9, 1957 M M 6 75 W INVENTO 7%60 dare /7 M 605 United States Patent Ofitice 3,069,954 METALLIC STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Seth E. Lover and Theodore M. McCarty, Kalamazoo, Mich, assignors to Gibson, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich.

Filed Jan. 9, 1957, Ser. No. 633,264 6 Claims. (Cl. 84-114) This invention relates to improvements in metallic stringed musical instruments. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an instrument that is lighter and less expensive than similar instruments known theretofore.

Second, to provide an instrument that does not require a case or body of suflicient weight and strength to Withstand the tension force created in the strings of the instrument.

Third, to provide a string support and electrical pickup that can be manufactured 'as a unit and assembled singly or in multiples as desired into musical ins-trum ents having variable musical properties.

Fourth, to provide a musical instrument in which a hollow tubular base forms the structural support and section, of a multiple unit stringed musical instrument embodying the invention, the break-out showing the connection between units.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross sectional view through-an instrument which may be either a single or multiple unit instrument, the view being taken along the general plane of the line 22 in FIG. 4 with portions further broken away to the central longitudinal plane of the string unit to show the connections of the string unit to its supporting case.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view, partially broken away in section of one form of the string unit of the instrument with tone control, volume, and unit selector switches as shown at the bottom of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified. form of the string unit of the instrument.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical transverse cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 6-6 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustrating the connection between the peg head and base of the string unit.

As stated in the objects of the invention, the instrument is capable of selective combination in plural sections and includes a case or body built in sections 1A and 1B provided with holes 2 in the sides so that the cases can be bolted together as at 3 in FIG. 1. The sections IA'and 1B of the case consist of side panels 4, end walls 5 and top panels 6A and 6B respectively secured together by any suitable cabinet construction. Desirably the walls and the panels are of wood and may be of ply wood or other materials. Cross pieces 7 connect the side panels below their upper edges 4A and consti-tute points of connection for legs 8.

Each case supports and partially encloses a string unit and the string units themselves can be varied in detail as is illustrated by the units indicated generally at 9A and 9B. Each string unit includes a base 10 of tubular met-a1, preferably welded steel tubing, of rectangular cross section disposed within an opening in the Patented Dec. 25, 1962 .top panel and supported on the cross pieces 7 with one of its broader sides upward. Mounted on the left end of the base and secured thereto as by the bolts 11 is a peg head generally indicated at 12. A trim and spacing plate 13 may be interposed between the peg head and the base to bring the peg head to the desired level.

The peg head is a generally channel shaped member of sheet metal with upturned side walls 14 on which geared winding pins 15 and thumb screws 16 are mounted in any suitable fashion. The inner end of the peg head has an upturned flange 17 that supports a string bridge 18.

The opposite end or right end of the base as viewed in the drawings carries a string anchor and electrical pickup assembly. The pickup assemblies 19A and 19B of the two units 9A and 9B are basically the same but differ in the amount of switching and tuning equipment which they carry as will be described. Basically the assemblies consist of a steel or other magnetically conductive plate 20 secured to the base 10 by bolts 21. An insultaing and decorative finish plate 22 may be lapped on the metal plate. The bolts 21 also secure a tail piece or anchor 23 to the plate and a cover or hand rest 24 is secured over the anchor. Secured to the plate 20 on the left or inner side of the anchor is an electromagnetic pickup 25. The pickup illustrated has three coils 26A and three sets of string magnets or pole pieces 26 and the coils are selectively and variably connectable with each other and tuning elements, not illustrated, to vary the tone of the instrument. A switch 27 mounted on the outer end of the plate 20 controls the connections between the coils and the tuning elements. The details of the pickup mounting and electrical connections may be the same as those more particularly described and claimed in the patent to McCarty and Lover, Number 2,897,709, dated August 4, 19 59. i i V The pickup assembly l 9A differs from the assembly 19B in that the metal mounting plate and trim plate pro- .ject further to the rear as at 28A and support two control elements 29 such as rheostats and a string unit selector switch 30. The electrical output of the two pickups 25 may be selectively connected by the switch 30 to the tone control elements 29 and the output of the instrument as a whole to combine the two outputs or selectively utilize the output of one or the other pickup. The details of the electrical connections are not illustrated as they will be readily understood by persons skilled in t he art. The case 1A is wider than the case 1B to accommodate the extra equipment on pickup 19A. i

The base element10 of each' string unit 9A and 9B is inserted through a slot 31 provided therefor in the top panel 6 of its case and is drawn down tight on the cross pieces 7 by metal bolts 32. The projecting portions 121 of the magnetic plates 20 on which the pickups are mounted and peg heads 12 rest in overlapping sup ported engagement with the top panels 6. Between the peg heads 12 and the magnetic mounting plates 20 the slots 31 are closed and the bases 10 are partially covered by finger boards 33 that are secured to the bases by wood screws 34. i i i i l FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of string unit in which the base 10C is tubular as in the other units but has its ends cut away in notclies as at 35 and 135. i The inner end flange 17 on the peg head abuts against the vertical end of one notch and the plate 20C of the pickup assembly has a corresponding upturned flange 36 abutted against the end of the notch at the other end of the base. The flanges 17 and 36 transmit part of the force applied to the peg head and pickup assembly by the tension in the strings directly to the base 10C and compensate for the loss of strength resulting from cutting away the ends of the base 10C. The modified string unit C is thinner than the first string units 9A and 9B as the finger board may be omitted by applying fret marks directly to the top of the base 100.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A stringed musical instrument comprising an elongated tubular steel base of rectangular cross section and having opposite ends, said base being disposed with the wider dimension of its rectangular cross section horizontal providing a flat top side, a peg head of channel shaped sheet metal having a web bolted to said top side at one end of said base with side flanges of the channel section extending longitudinally of the base, a transverse upright wall on said peg head disposed inwardly from said one end of said base and acting as a string bridge, a metal plate secured to said top side of said base at the opposite end of the base from said peg head and spaced from the peg head, said plate projecting substantially beyond said side of said base, a tail piece mounted on said plate in vertical overlapping relation with and connected to said base, strings stretched between said bridge and said tail piece, an electro-magnetic pickup mounted on said plate in coacting relation to said strings, turning elements for said pickup mounted on the projecting portions of said plate, a selector switch mounted on said plate and adapted to connect a plurality of said pickups to an output circuit, a finger board secured to said top side of said base between said peg head and said pickup and projecting beyond the longitudinal side edges of the base, a case of relatively thin wood panels joined together as top, side and end walls in an open bottomed box with a slot in the top wall thereof, cross pieces extending between the side walls of said box, said base being positioned in said slot and on said cross pieces with the side edges of said finger board and said plate extending in lapped supported engagement with the top wall of said case, bolts securing said base to said cross pieces, and legs connected to said case.

2. A stringed musical instrument comprising an elongated tubular metal base of rectangular cross section having opposite ends, said base being disposed with the wider dimension of its rectangular section horizontal providing a flat top side, a peg unit fixedly secured to the top side of said base at one end of the base, a combined tail piece and bridge member fixedly secured to said top side of said base at the opposite end of the base, a magnetic pickup mounted on said base adjacent said tail piece and bridge member, strings stretched between said peg unit and said tail piece and bridge member in coacting relation to said pickup, a fingerboard disposed upon and fixedly secured to the top side of said base between said peg unit and said pickup, said fingerboard being of a width substantially exceeding that of the base and extending beyond the sides of said base, a case including a top provided with a longitudinal slot of a length to receive said base but of less width than said fingerboard, said case having cross pieces constituting bed members for said base and upon which said base is supportedly positioned, and means securing said base to said bed members.

3. A stringed musical instrument comprising an elongated tubular base having opposite ends, said base providing a top side, a peg unit fixedly secured to the top side of said base at one end of the base, a combined tail piece and bridge member fixedly secured to said top side of said base at the opposite end of the base, a magnetic pickup mounted on said base adjacent said tail piece and bridge member, strings stretched between said peg unit and said tail piece and bridge member in coacting relation to said pickup, a fingerboard disposed upon and fixedly secured to the top side of said base between said peg unit and said pickup, said fingerboard being of a width substantially exceeding that of the base and extending beyond the sides of said base, a case including a top provided with a longitudinal slot of a length to receive said base but of less width than said fingerboard, said case having cross pieces constituting bed members for said base and upon which said base is supportedly positioned, and means securing said base to said bed members.

4. A stringed musical instrument comprising an elongated tubular metal base having opposite ends and a rectangular horizontally flattened cross section providing a flat top side, a peg unit fixedly secured to the top side of said base at one end of the base, a tail piece fixedly secured to the top side of said base at the opposite end of the base from said peg unit, a magnetic pickup on said base between said peg unit and said tail piece, and a fingerboard disposed upon and fixedly secured to said top side of said base between and extending from said peg unit to said pickup.

5. A stringed musical instrument comprising an elongated tubular metal base having opposite ends and a a rectangular cross section providing a top surface, a peg head secured to the top side of said base at one end thereof, a plate secured to the top side of said base at the opposite end thereof from said peg head and projecting beyond the end and sides of the base, a bridge and string anchor mounted on said plate, strings stretched between said peg head and said string anchor, an electro-magnetic pickup mounted on said plate adjacent to said bridge and in coacting relation to said strings, tuning elements for said pickup mounted on said plate where the plate projects beyond said base, a fingerboard secured to the top side of said base between said plate and said peg head and projecting laterally beyond the sides of said base, a case having a top wall and side walls with a slot formed in the top wall and cross pieces extending between the side walls, said base being positioned in said slot and on said cross pieces, said fingerboard being lapped upon said top wall of said case along the sides of said slot, and legs secured to "said case.

6. A stringed musical instrument comprising an elongated tubular metal base having opposite ends and a rectangular cross section providing a top surface, a peg head secured to the top side of said base at one end thereof, a plate secured to the top side of said base at the opposite end thereof from said peg head and projecting beyond the end and sides of the base, a bridge and string anchor mounted on said plate, strings stretched between said peg head and said string anchor, an electro-magnetic pickup mounted on said plate adjacent to said bridge and in coacting relation to said strings, tuning elements for said pickup mounted on said plate Where the plate projects beyond said base, a fingerboard secured to the top side of said base between said plate and said peg head and projecting laterally beyond the sides of said base, a case having a top wall and side walls with a slot formed in the top wall, said base being positioned in said slot, said fingerboard being lapped upon said top wall of said case along the sides of said slot, and legs secured to said case.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,364,217 Surratt Jan. 4, 1921 1,768,471 Ferguson June 24, 1930 1,804,802 Pastor May 12, 1931 2,261,357 Fuller Nov. 4, 1941 2,531,569 Hise et al Nov. 28, 1950 2,550,176 Vitovsky Apr. 24, 1951 2,897,709 McCarty g, Aug. 4, 1959 

